Posts made in April, 2011

May and her parents spent the day of the Royal Wedding at IKEA. I did mean to send an update, an American-behind-the-scenes/lone reporter-on-the-prowl kind of thing, but I there wasn’t any internet access at IKEA. Instead, I tested out new sofas for my new flat using my new butt (it’s not only your tummy that expands in pregnancy…) The day started normally enough. My husband and I were up early taking care of our own little princess. BUT, not as early as usual since, because I live in Britain, I had the day off work! Woohoo! While our resident monarch, May, screamed for her...

May celebrated her birthday this year by moving into a brand new flat! Actually, that is a bit of a lie. May celebrated her birthday with her mama, while her daddy moved everything into the new flat. Photos of the new abode to come (and incidentally, I’m posting this the day before, as on the day my connection to the internet ends! GASP! How did people communicate pre-internet?) And now (drum roll please!) in keeping with previous birthday posts: Let’s celebrate! May when you were born, here is what the doctors definitely knew you would be able to do: - pee - breathe At two...

I would like to officially call my daughter a loser. After two weeks of trial by fire, and a lot of help from Nana, May is now sleeping through the night! We are victors in The Sleep Experiment! The system is not perfect. She wakes from time to time – she gets stuck and needs readjusting, or has a seizure – but, the important thing is she doesn’t stay awake. Moreover, she doesn’t stay awake screaming for hours on end. Because, if you recall, that was the state of affairs just over two weeks ago. May had been ill for almost a month, cuddling in bed with Mama and Daddy...

Today, my husband pointed out that we are four years into the recession in Britain. “There will probably be four more,” he said, grimly. “And, with the budget cuts the government has made, probably even longer than that,” I said, equally as grim. It is just such conversations, casually breached in the comfort of my mother-in-law’s front room, that set me a bit on edge today. As a result, I’ve decided to riddle this post with GOOD NEWS. Here goes: 1. A couple of months ago, my students and I asked for contributions towards Small Steps School for Parents....

Apologies. I am officially obsessed with sleep. Last night, at least I had some, but only at the expense of my husband’s. For May, 3 a.m and 5 a.m. is officially Party Time. And, only an hour later, at 6 a.m., she was up – this time with yours truly – and up for good. Here’s a question: Does May actually require sleep? Because she barely naps either. Even with three nights in a row of partying, May still only took one or two naps each day, and they only lasted 30 minutes. In contrast, her parents came home from their jobs today and, while May was still at nursery, we...